Peach tree `August Sun`

ABSTRACT

A peach tree, denominated &#34;August Sun&#34;, producing freestone fruit having a dark red color with bright yellow, very crisp flesh and skin tenacious to the flesh ripening August 18, to August 24.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peachtree, denominated "August Sun", broadly characterized by its freestonefruit of dark red color and more particularly to such a peach treewherein the flesh of the fruit is very crisp and of a bright yellowcolor having a bright red ring bounding the pit cavity and in which thepit completely fills the pit cavity with a skin which is tenacious tothe flesh and ripening from August 18 to August 24 in the San JoaquinValley of California.

The commercial market for tree fruit and particularly peaches slackensas the season reaches its latter stages. During this period, thosevarieties which are of high color and are resistent to damage byhandling and shipping are the only ones of any substantial commercialvalue. The patented O'Henry peach tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,964)produces fruit having good qualities in these respects and ripeningabout August 6. The peach tree of the present invention is distinct inthat it produces fruit of very high color, which is quite resistent todamage from handling and shipping and which ripens from August 18 toabout August 24 to achieve excellent market acceptance after the harvestof the O'Henry peach.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The new variety of peach tree of the present invention was discovered bymyself in 1976 and is a newly found seedling of the patented O'Henrypeach tree. Seeds of the O'Henry peach tree were planted in a plot inthe nursery of H. P. Metzler & Sons, Inc. at 5286 So. Del Rey Avenue,Del Rey, Calif. 93616 in 1973 and 1974. The first fruit of the presentvariety was observed in August, 1976 and its distinctive characteristicsdiscovered at that time. The present variety was asexually propagatedunder my direction at H. P. Metzler & Sons, Inc. in 1976 and 1977 bygrafting several seedlings with buds of the instant variety and plantingthe seedlings in a test plot on Ranch No. 18 of H. P. Metzler & Sons,Inc. at Del Rey, Calif. In 1978, 150 seedlings were budded to the newvariety and planted in the same test plot at Del Rey, Calif. Theseedlings of the new variety and the parent tree were observed overseveral growing seasons and the fruit and tree characteristics resultingfrom such asexual reproduction proved to be identical to those of theoriginal seedling of the new variety.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW VARIETY

The instant variety of peach tree is characterized by its full freestonefruit having a dark red color with bright yellow very crisp flesh, a pitcavity bounded by a bright red ring wherein the pit completely fills thecavity, a skin which is tenacious to the flesh and ripening from August18 to August 24.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawing is a color photograph of five mature fruit ofthe variety of the present invention, one positioned to show the stemend, a second positioned to show the side, a third positioned to showthe apex, a fourth sliced along the suture plane with the pit left inplace and a fifth sliced along the suture plane with the pit removed toexpose the pit cavity. A representative twig is also shown in thephotograph with characteristic leaves.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring more specifically to the pomological details of this new anddistinct variety of peach tree, the following characteristics wereobserved under the ecological conditions prevailing at the nursery of H.P. Metzler & Sons, Inc. at Del Rey, Fresno County, Calif. and is anoutlined description thereof. All major color code plate identificationsare by reference to the Color Name Chart of the Inter-Society ColorCouncil, National Bureau of Standards.

TREE

Size: Normal.

Figure: Normal, subject to variation by pruning.

Productivity: Good.

Regularity of bearing: Bears very well every year.

Trunk: Normal diameter in relation to length; surface characteristics ofthe bark are normal with about 20-25 lenticels per square inch. Color(81-d-gy. Br.).

Branches: Normal size with normal surface; color (81-d. gy. Br.) withmedium size lenticels 20-25 per square inch.

Leaves: Normal size.

Length.--Average length from 6 inches [15.24 CM] to 7 inches [17.78 CM].

Width.--11/4 inch [3.175 CM] to 11/2 inch [3.81 CM].

Shape.--Lanceolate.

Margin.--Serrate.

Petiole.--About 7/16 inch [1.11125 CM] in length and 1/16 inch [0.15875CM] thick.

Glands.--Not always found. If present, they are very small, and theremay only be one on one side of petiole. Type: neither globose norreniform.

Color.--Upper side (126 d. O1G) and under side (127 gy O1G).

Flower buds: Elongated, large light pink fluffy bud before opening.

Diameter.--7/16 inch [1.11125 CM].

Length.--11/16 inch [1.74625 CM].

Flowers:

Date of bloom.--March 3rd to March 8th.

Size.--Each petal 3/4 inch [1.905 CM] in length when open and 3/4 inch[1.905 CM] in width.

Color.--Light pink (4-1-pink).

Number of pistils and stamen.--1 pistil and about 38 stamen.

FRUIT

Maturity: Reached in the San Joaquin Valley of California August 18 toAugust 24.

Size:

Good uniformity.--Diameter 23/4 inches [6.985 CM] to 31/2 inches [8.89CM]. Transverse dimension in suture plane 3 inches [7.62 CM]. Transversedimension at right angles to suture plane about 3 inches [7.62 CM].

Form: Uniform and symmetrical.

Suture.--Extending from base to apex about 5 inches [12.7 CM].

Ventril surface.--Rounded to slightly flat.

Stem cavity.--Rounded and 3/4 inch [1.905 CM] in depth, 1 inch [2.54 CM]in diameter.

Apex.--Rounded to slightly flat.

Base.--Wide and slightly flat.

Pistil point.--Slightly depressed.

Stem:

Size.--Length 5/8 inch [1.5875 CM] and Caliper 3/16 inch [0.47625 CM].

Skin:

Thickness.--About 1/64 inch [0.0396875 CM].

Texture.--Smooth, tough and tenacious to flesh.

Tendency to crack.--None.

Pubescence.--Light.

Color.--(17 V.d. Red) to (12 s. Red) with some (83 Brill y).

Flesh:

Color.--(83 Brill y).

Surface of pit cavity.--Rough.

Color of pit cavity.--(13 Deep Red).

Amygdalin.--Lacking.

Juice.--Good, no acid taste.

Texture.--Smooth and crisp.

Fibers.--None.

Ripening.--Even.

Flavor.--Good and crisp.

Aroma.--Good.

Eating quality.--Good flavor and crisp.

Stone:

Type.--Freestone.

Fibers.--None.

Size.--13/8 inches [3.4925 CM] in length and 11/8 inches [2.8575 CM] inwidth. Thickness, 3/4 inch [1.905 CM].

Form.--Normal peach pit slightly longer than wide with sharp ridgesrunning in longitudinal axes about 3/16 inch [0.47625 CM] in height.

Base.--Flat, about 5/16 inch [0.79375 CM] in diameter.

Sides.--Rough.

Ridges.--About 1/8 inch [0.3175 CM] to 3/16 inch [0.47625 CM] in height.

Color.--(58 m. Br.).

Splitting tendency.--None.

Use: Fresh market, shipping.

Keeping quality.--Good. Fruit has been kept in storage from three tofour weeks without noticeable deterioration.

Shipping quality.--Very good due to firm, crisp flesh and skin tenaciousto flesh.

Although the new variety of peach tree possesses the describedcharacteristics as a result of the growing conditions in Fresno County,Calif., in the Central portion of the San Joaquin Valley, it is to beunderstood that variations of the usual magnitude and characteristicsincident to growing conditions, fertilization, pruning, pest control andother horticultural practices are to be expected.

Having thus described and illustrated my new variety of peach tree, whatis claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:
 1. Anew and distinct variety of peach tree substantially as illustrated anddescribed and which is characterized by its freestone fruit of dark redcolor having very crisp bright yellow flesh with a bright red ringbounding the pit cavity and with a skin which is tenacious to the fleshripening August 18 to August 24.